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Liverpool certainly need to sign a striker in the summer if they are to bounce back from their dreadful title defence this season.

As it stands, the Reds are set to score approximately 20 goals fewer in the Premier League than last season, with centre-forward Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino having netted just seven goals between them in all competitions.

Two potential arrivals with whom Jurgen Klopp’s troops have already been linked are strikers at opposite ends of the age spectrum; Atletico Madrid’s Luis Suarez and Dusan Vlahovic of Fiorentina.

According to Calciomercato, the former Reds predator is eyeing a move back to Anfield, whilst Milan Live has suggested that Klopp could also be interested in a move for the 21-year-old Serbian.

Whilst Suarez is by far the older of the two forwards, he should certainly be the striker the Reds recruit in the summer. Not only has he found the net more often this season – 19 to Vlahovic’s 15 in Serie A – the Uruguayan’s statistics continue to see him outperform the younger marksman.

According to WhoScored, the 34-year-old attempts more shots per game than the current Fiorentina man with 3.2 compared to 2.4. Meanwhile, Suarez is far more of a creative influence on his side, averaging 0.8 key passes per 90 minutes, Vlahovic can only average 0.4.

The former Liverpool forward’s form has often seen him praised by his team-mates. Atletico winger Angel Correa has labelled the Uruguayan a “great forward” with “excellent” characteristics.

Furthermore, Suarez’s return to Anfield would be much more affordable for Liverpool. Rated by Transfermarkt at £13.5m, it is reported that he could leave his current employers on a free transfer. On the other hand, it is suggested that Fiorentina have slapped a €40m (£35m) fee on their Serbian forward.

This would leave the Reds with far more to spend on other areas of the squad, a huge benefit in a window which is surely set to be affected by the financial impacts of the global pandemic.

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Whilst both strikers would be excellent signings for Klopp as he attempts to rectify the club’s lack of goals, Suarez should certainly be the preferred option for the club in the summer transfer window if they can only obtain one.

AND in more news, a blow for Virgil van Dijk could be a huge positive for Liverpool…

In a recent interview, former Premier League goalkeeper, Paul Robinson, urged Leeds United to sign defensive midfielder, Okay Yokuslu, in the summer transfer window.

Since joining West Bromwich Albion from Celta de Vigo on a five-month loan deal in the January transfer window, Yokuslu has highly impressed over his seven Premier League appearances for Sam Allardyce’s side, making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 2.9 clearances and 0.6 key passes per match, culminating in an average SofaScore match rating of 7.07 – ranking him as the Baggies’ best performer in the top flight.

And, with it appearing more and more likely that West Brom will be dropping down to the Championship come the end of the season, it would seem considerably less likely that Allardyce’s side will be able to land the £31,000 per week 27-year-old on a permanent basis.

According to Robinson, speaking to Football Insider, this is where Leeds should come in, as the former England ‘keeper believes that Yokuslu would be an ideal candidate to provide Kalvin Phillips with backup and competition in the Whites’ midfield next season.

He said: “He will be highly sought-after this summer. He plays in a very similar way to Kalvin Phillips and that is the type of player that Leeds need. It is going to be a difficult one to sell though. Would he want to be Kalvin Phillips’ backup? He is playing week in, week out right now.”

Transfer Tavern Take

Indeed, with Phillips being Marcelo Bielsa’s only real option as an out and out defensive midfielder, and with Leeds losing six of the eight Premier League games in which the England international has been missing due to injury this season, the position would appear to be somewhere the Whites must add depth this summer.

And, considering how well Yokuslu has performed in a poor West Brom side, as well as the fact the 27-year-old has a Transfermarkt valuation of just £3.6 million, perhaps Victor Orta and his Leeds transfer team should heed Robinson’s advice regarding the Turkey international – as he would seem to comfortably be a Premier League level player, at what is likely to be an extremely reasonable price.

In other news: Leeds are ‘thinking seriously’ about making this key addition – find out more here!

Karl Darlow is set to be replaced by Martin Dubravka for Newcastle United in their home fixture versus Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday night.

That is according to The Daily Telegraph, claiming Steve Bruce has decided to change his goalkeeper for the game against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men.

Darlow can count himself unlucky

Darlow can count himself very unlucky to be dropped as he has put in some stellar displays for the St. James’ Park faithful over the course of the 2020/21 term so far.

The 30-year-old makes no fewer than 3.5 saves on average per game in the Premier League and has also saved a penalty and made no errors that have led to shots or goals (Sofascore).

Alan Shearer was particularly full of praise for him during the North East club’s 0-0 home draw with reigning EPL champions Liverpool back in December of last year, describing Darlow as ‘exceptional’.

Nonetheless, Dubravka is a safe pair of hands and is more than capable of filling into the Englishman’s shoes against the Molineux outfit.

After all, the Slovakia international was Bruce’s first-choice ‘keeper before his injury which meant that Darlow had to step in, and now he will take his place in between the posts again for the Magpies as they look to get a vital three points to ease off fear of potential relegation.

In other news, find out what inside claim Luke Edwards has dropped on Bruce’s future here!

Reports have suggested that Manchester United are unwilling to meet Tottenham Hotspur’s asking price for striker Harry Kane.

The England captain has been linked with a switch to Old Trafford for a considerable amount of time. With Edinson Cavani quickly approaching the twilight of his career having only signed a one-year deal at Old Trafford, albeit with the option of a second, the Red Devils have to make a move for Kane.

The Tottenham forward’s Premier League record really does speak for itself.

Now rated at £108m and being paid £200k per week at Tottenham, he has plundered an eye-watering 159 goals in 235 league appearances, an astounding record.

He has hit double figures in each of the last seven campaigns, even notching 30 during the 2017/18 season.

This all means that Kane has a strike rate of 0.67 goals per game, which is better than Marcus Rashford’s 0.31, Anthony Martial’s 0.33, Mason Greenwood’s 0.19 and of course Cavani’s record of 0.33.

With the mercurial Bruno Fernandes teeing Kane up with his 2.8 key passes per game, then an extremely fruitful relationship could well be in the offing in the future.

It won’t just be Kane’s goals that United will benefit from though. The 27-year-old’s creativity has improved just this season.

With ten Premier League matches to go in 2020/21, he already has 13 league assists, having added to those in his exhilarating performance in the 4-1 thumping of Crystal Palace.

The positives of Kane’s arrival at Old Trafford do not end there. Near neighbours Manchester City have also been backed to make a move for the Tottenham superstar in the near future.

If United manage to get there first, it could potentially signal a swing in power, not only in Manchester, but also in the Premier League.

So, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reportedly keen to recruit a striker as soon as this summer, no target makes more sense than Harry Kane.

AND in more news, take a look at Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s brilliant performance in the Red Devils’ 2-0 victory in the Manchester derby…

Glasgow Rangers’ last five games of the season have been revealed as they attempt to go the term unbeaten.

Rangers find out remaining schedule

Of course, the Scottish Premiership’s peculiar format means the league will split into the top six and the bottom six, with the teams in each group playing each other once to take the grand total for the campaign to 38 games played per side.

The Gers’ final five games of the league season have now been confirmed (via The Glasgow Times). They are as follows:

Sunday 11th April – Rangers vs Hibernian

Wednesday 21st April – St Johnstone vs Rangers

Sunday 2nd May – Rangers vs Celtic

Wednesday 12th May – Livingston vs Rangers

Saturday 15th May – Rangers vs Aberdeen

Glory awaits

After 33 matches, the Gers are in the fantastic position of still being unbeaten (BBC) – that means they have a realistic opportunity of going the campaign without defeat in the league. However, there is no doubt they will face some difficult challenges if they are to do so.

Obviously, the fourth Old Firm derby of the season jumps off the page – Steven Gerrard will be happy that game will be played at Ibrox. A third visit of the term to Livingston and their artificial pitch is unlikely to be an easy game either. All eyes, though, will be on the final fixture. They will face Aberdeen, and it is on that day that they are likely to finally receive the Premiership trophy. Given the rivalry they share with the Dons (The Guardian), it will be an occasion the Gers will particularly enjoy.

In other news, this man has been tipped to be Rangers’ Player of the Year.

Glasgow Rangers may have just received a huge transfer boost in their pursuit of Wigan Athletic striker Kyle Joseph if recent reports are to be believed.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Wigan have rejected a bid from Barnsley for the 19-year-old, who has caught the eye of Rangers, as Steven Gerrard seeks to bolster his firepower in front of goal.

Alfredo Morelos has been doing a decent job as Gerrard’s first choice but faces stiff competition from Jermain Defoe, Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe, and bringing in the youngster could push Greg Stewart out the Ibrox door.

With Joseph’s contract set to expire this summer, Rangers are hopeful they can take advantage of the situation by lining up a Bosman move for the Latics striker, who has been one of the few bright sparks in what has been a rather difficult campaign for the club.

Imagine him and Ianis Hagi

The highly-rated teenager has made 14 appearances across all competitions this season and has five goals to show for his 11 starts, with the League One strugglers currently lying second from bottom of the table.

Joseph has become a regular starter in the EFL and it’s no surprise his form has caught the attention of a number of clubs. The Mirror revealed Rangers face a fierce battle to sign the Wigan teenage starlet amid interest from Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur, Sheffield United and Old Firm rivals Celtic.

Morelos’ importance to Gerrard’s side is unquestionable, but Stewart has served his purpose, and Ross Wilson needs to find a talented young and hungry player to help to rejuvenate an ageing squad. It’s worth pointing out Rangers have one of the oldest squads in the Scottish Premiership. And Joseph is exactly that.

After it was revealed that Wigan’s financial struggles could see him leave on the cheap, Joseph – who has been heavily linked to north London – could be the man to complete a dream attack for Gerrard with an eye on the future.

Whilst Ianis Hagi is similarly right-footed and plays on the wings, the Scotland U19 front man is far more of a potent threat in front of goal. Per WhoScored, the Wigan forward currently averages 2.2 shots per match which is more than Hagi himself (1.7), and he also boasts an impressive 1.3 successful dribbles per game as well.

Wigan manager Leam Richardson heaped praise on his young charge, insisting: “Kyle is on top of the world at the moment. The only disappointment for him and for us is that it wasn’t in front of 30,000 people here.

“He’ll remember that moment for the rest of his life. He’s been getting plaudits for a while now and as long as he keeps grounded and keeps working hard through the week like he does, he’ll have a very good career.”

Hagi on the other hand has managed 1.7 key passes per game, picking up more assists than Joseph (10). Having them both in the same side and playing off Ryan Kent on the left-hand side of the pitch could give Gerrard even more firepower to feed off, and add to their excellent goal record in the future.

AND in other news, Rangers dealt transfer blow after Nottingham Forest launch bid for Siriki Dembele…

Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo is once again showing his quality out on loan but considering the winger is now 23-years-old, it seems clear that he’s never going to make it in the Reds’ first-team, so they should try and cash in on him in January.

The youngster joined the Merseyside club from MK Dons’ academy side in 2011 but has managed just 13 appearances for the first-team in the nine years since, with him spending a lot of time out on loan.

During the most recent summer, he joined Cardiff City on loan in the Championship and is impressing with Neil Harris’ side, having contributed three goals and four assists in 17 appearances for the Bluebirds, so it is clear that he is establishing himself as a key player with the Championship side.

His performances in the second division have seen him average a solid 6.79 rating, which ranks him as the Welsh side’s ninth-best player in the league so far this season.

Considering Ojo is valued at just £1.8 million by Transfermarkt, if he continues to impress, then perhaps we will see Cardiff or another side, attempt to buy him in the January transfer window.

Back in 2018, the winger signed a new five-year deal with the Reds, meaning his current deal isn’t set to expire until 2023, which suggests that the Reds would be able to demand a decent fee for the 23-year-old should other clubs come knocking.

Earlier this season, Ojo was hailed by his manager Neil Harris, who said:

“I think Sheyi is showing us his importance, with a couple of goals and a couple of assists.

“He had just been missing that final end product – in the first half he got into some great areas of the pitch, but the cross wasn’t what it should be.

“But in moments, he’s unplayable. His counter-attacking ability and his ability to dribble are excellent, and he’s unpredictable.”

However, Ojo reportedly earns £32,500 a week at Liverpool, which considering his lack of appearances for the first-team seems crazy, so it could certainly be suggested that he has been bleeding Michael Edwards and the Liverpool board dry.

Therefore, the Reds can save themselves a lot of money by cashing in on the winger in January, as his impressive performances in the Championship will hopefully be enough to attract some interest in the 23-year-old.

And, in other news… Klopp can sign his next Marco Reus in “complete” £72m-rated outcast offered to LFC 

Many Everton fans have been slamming an update by Paul Joyce on James Rodriguez ahead of the game versus West Ham United.

As per a tweet from The Times journalist, the attacking midfield player is still out for the Goodison Park faithful and therefore, he will play no part for the Merseyside club in the clash, although he did also reveal that Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Richarlison is back for the match.

The former Real Madrid star has scored three goals and supplied a further four assists so far in the 2020/21 season (Transfermarkt), and could have been a key player to unlock the door against David Moyes’ team, but the Toffees will now have to make do without the Colombia international for yet another game, which has meant that several members of the Blues faithful are growing increasingly frustrated.

Everton fan reaction to Rodriguez news

These EFC supporters slammed the update on the 29-year-old on Twitter, with one even claiming that he is ‘drifting into Kevin Mirallas reliability levels’, a player who missed plenty of games for Everton through injury:

“Has he just gave up on us?”

Credit: @efcdoyley

“Unless James tore his calf this is ridiculous.”

Credit: @ZHall24

“The reason James is out for so long is 100% because he plays full 90 minutes in every Columbia fixture. So annoying.”

Credit: @Evertxn

“Day ruined”

Credit: @efcleo2

“Release him”Credit: @z_c31″Something ultimately isn’t right. He’s drifting into Kevin Mirallas reliability levels here.”Credit: @TheRealRobAIn other news, find out who has been tipped to leave Everton in January here!

With Celtic stuck in a rut, some big decisions are needed from the Hoops’ hierarchy.

Their woes were made worse on Saturday when they suffered a 2-1 defeat to St Mirren. It heaped further pressure on Neil Lennon, a manager who has engineered just nine wins from the club’s last 24 matches.

It has been a torrid time for Celtic, but despite protests at Parkhead, Lennon is refusing to budge.

He revealed a few weeks ago that he won’t leave until he’s sacked but given the protection he’s received from those above him, that doesn’t seem like a viable option at this time.

Though, if the Bhoys are to have any chance of turning things around, they need a change in management. One player tipped with the hot seat has been Frank Lampard, a man sacked by Chelsea last week.

Pat Nevin is one pundit to have discussed the option of Lampard arriving in Glasgow, telling 67hailhail: “He’s [Lampard] not a bad fit.”

Nevin added: “He’s going to have to take a step away from the top level in England. I think Celtic’s a big ask at that point in time. It would be one hell of a chance to take.”

Considering what he did with a limited budget when Chelsea had a transfer ban, he’d certainly be a good appointment for the Hoops. He took them to Champions League football despite not making a single signing but it was the policy he developed that could be game-changing at Celtic.

He took it upon himself to take Chelsea in a completely new direction, forgetting about expensive recruits in his first season and promoting from within. Within a matter of months, Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Reece James and Fikayo Tomori had all become key to his plans.

It was out with the old and in with the new, a strategy that could hinder a number of Celtic favourites down the years. One man who could suffer the most if Lampard moved to Celtic and followed a similar strategy is Scott Brown.

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The Scot has already started to be phased out by Lennon, who now prefers Ismaila Soro at the base of his midfield. To sum things up, since the New Year, Brown has only played 23 minutes of football. He is out of favour and his Celtic career is slowing falling away. Thus, the appointment of Lampard could only heap further misery on the 35-year-old.

At one point last season, the former England international fielded a starting XI with the average age of just 24.3. That happened to be the fourth most inexperienced side in the whole top-flight for 2019/20.

For more context, the 42-year-old coach had just four players over the age of 30 feature for him last term; Willian, Pedro, Olivier Giroud and Willy Caballero.

It was an incredibly young squad but one that Lampard was able to take to a new level. Willian and Pedro both left at the end of the season – moves that further emphasised the manager’s will to phase out older players.

Lampard has been described as “special” by Nevin for the connections he has within the game, but it could be what he does with players already at the club that has the biggest impact – rather than incomings.

Brown has hardly been a pillar of consistency this season so if you combine that with a manager who prefers to blood fresh talent, it doesn’t bode well.

It would be a major blow to the midfielder and his career if Lampard did arrive and chose a similar strategy in Glasgow. The skipper might be hoping that Dermot Desmond doesn’t have his eyes on the former England midfielder.

AND in other news, Celtic could have their Frimpong heir in rarely-seen 20 y/o with “excellent pedigree”…

Ipswich Town have navigated the choppy waters of the Premier League relatively well so far this season, with Kieran McKenna’s Tractor Boys not tasting defeat in the difficult division since travelling to Manchester City at the end of August.

The top-flight underdogs are still without a win in the league though, with three draws picked up on the trot now, as Ipswich stalwart Sam Morsy scored in the last minute versus Southampton last time out to secure a dramatic share of the points.

Whilst Morsy shone in the middle of the park for the away side, there was a former Ipswich man in midfield for Russell Martin’s Saints who never realised his potential when he was still on the books of the Suffolk club. He’s since come on leaps and bounds after his initial start at Portman Road.

Flynn Downes' time at Ipswich

The midfielder in question is Southampton star Flynn Downes, who the Saints fought long and hard over this summer to snap up permanently from West Ham United, after he helped the South Coast outfit achieve promotion to the Premier League.

Ipswich fans will only really know about Downes, on the contrary, as a product of the club’s youth academy who never really ended up leaving an impression on the senior team, before then finding his feet away from his boyhood employers.

Downes amassed 99 appearances for the Tractor Boys in total, with three goals and four assists registered across his stay, before winning himself a move to Swansea City in 2021.

The Swans manager at the time was Martin funnily enough, who took a shining to the unpolished midfielder, with the Welsh outfit picking up the former Tractor Boys man for a meagre £1.5m.

Ipswich must regret signing off on this deal, as Downes has now become a key part of Martin’s Southampton team in the Premier League after his stay in Wales, with the Saints having to fork out far more than £1.5m to land him permanently this summer.

Downes' transfer value in 2024

Southampton splashed the cash to secure the services of Downes for good this off-season, with the stylish midfielder costing the newly promoted outfit a bumper £18m, a far cry from his low valuation when first joining the Swans.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Downes justified that steep price tag too, having played a crucial part in Southampton achieving promotion via the playoffs come the end of the 2023/24 season, with calm and controlled performances second nature from the ex-Ipswich man in tense games.

Games played

33

Goals scored

2

Assists

2

Touches*

76.3

Big chances created

6

Accurate passes*

60.8 (93%)

Ball recoveries*

4.9

Total duels won*

4.5

Not always involved in the thick of action from a goalscoring perspective, Downes still managed to dictate games from the middle of the park for Martin’s men in the second tier, with 76.3 touches averaged per clash, alongside managing a 93% pass accuracy per game too.

He was even described as being “monstrous” by his adoring Southampton boss last season, with Martin waxing lyrical about his ability to be physical if he needs to be, on top of his measured presence on the ball.

He hasn’t looked out of his depth in the top-flight either, even as his side struggles towards the foot of the division near his ex-employers, with the Saints number four only misplacing four of his 54 passes in the recent 1-1 draw against McKenna’s visitors.

Players around Downes will have to grab the bull by the horns more in order to keep Southampton afloat in the Premier League, but there must be a lot of regret on Ipswich’s end now that they didn’t show more resolve when trying to keep hold of their academy product in 2021, as Swansea ended up winning themselves a top bargain.

Ipswich hit gold selling gem who'd be worth more than Greaves in 2024 money

Ipswich Town helped to kickstart this defender’s career.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 22, 2024